'Stop the Paris rat genocide': Activists call for contraceptives not a 'massacre'

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A campaign by Paris city chiefs to clear out rats from the streets and parks has angered animal rights activists, who want the city to come up with a "contraceptive" plan rather than "massacre" the rodents.

"You have to teach people to know the rats and not be afraid. I would like to teach people to fight their phobias rather than rats. We must stop this violence. That is a bad example."

Other specialists have pointed out that the millions of rats resident in Paris are in fact useful for the city by consuming some nine kilos of waste each, per year. They also act to keep sewers unblocked.

Benchetrit has labelled George Salines, the Paris official in charge of the campaign the "killer in chief".

But Salines defended the campaign.

"When it's an emergency... we have to carry out operations to destroy the rats, which satisfies no-one," Salines told AFP in his office adorned with pictures of flora and fauna.

"Animal lovers don't like it, nor do I because I love animals too," he said. "Rats multiply very, very fast," the public health doctor said. "As long as they have food, water and places to burrow, they'll multiply."